


Christmas Eve

by Small_Hobbit



Category: Sherlock Holmes - Arthur Conan Doyle
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-28
Updated: 2018-11-28
Packaged: 2019-09-01 21:51:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,054
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16773607
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Small_Hobbit/pseuds/Small_Hobbit
Summary: Dr Watson returns home on Christmas Eve, to find Mary waiting to show him something in the parlour.





	Christmas Eve

**Author's Note:**

  * For [venusinthenight](https://archiveofourown.org/users/venusinthenight/gifts).



I opened our front door carefully and listened to hear if Mary was close at hand. 

She called out a greeting from the parlour, asking me to join her.

“In a minute, dear. I’ve just got to pop into the surgery,” I replied.

“On Christmas Eve,” she said. 

I could hear the disappointment in her voice.

“I collected a few items from the chemist whilst I was out. I need to put them away, but it won’t take long, and then I’ll be with you.”

I carried my parcels into the surgery, opened the deep drawer of my desk and put them in there. I had been half-truthful when I answered Mary. One of the items had been from the chemist, not, as Mary had assumed, of a medical nature, but some of her favourite scented soaps. The other two packets were also presents which I wished to keep hidden from her for the moment.

I left the surgery and headed for the parlour.

I stopped in the doorway.

“What do you think?” Mary asked.

“It’s quite large,” I said.

“Don’t you like it?”

“Oh yes,” I hastened to reassure her. “I’d just expected a rather smaller tree. How ever did you get it in here?”

“Mr Green carried it into the hallway, and then Ethel and I carried it through and set it up.”

“Are you sure it’s in the best corner?” I asked. She favoured me with a look I had come to expect when I doubted Mrs Hudson’s judgement on a domestic matter. “No, I can see you have already given this considerable thought, and it should stay where it is.”

Her expression softened, and I went over to admire the tree. It was a lovely specimen and she had clearly taken a great deal of care when decorating it. I spotted a present with my name on the tag and reached up to touch it.

“Ahem!”

“I was just admiring the decorations,” I said hurriedly.

“You may admire them,” Mary replied, “but you may not touch anything until tomorrow.”

“There are a few branches which look as though they could benefit from the addition of a decoration,” I said. “Am I permitted to do so?”

“Of course.” She looked at me shrewdly. “That’s why you had to go into your surgery.”

“Indeed. May I be permitted to return to the surgery again for a little while in order to finalise the decorations?”

She smiled. “I think I can allow that. And when you’ve finished, supper will be ready in the dining room.”

I returned to the surgery and swiftly wrapped up the presents I had bought. I have to admit they were not as neatly tied as the ones which were already on the tree, for although I can suture a wound, tying a small parcel with ribbon is not a skill I possess. Once completed, I took the presents into the parlour and hung them up. 

I was about to see if there were any other presents with my name on when I heard Mary call.

“John, if you don’t come through now the potatoes will grow cold.” 

***

Ethel, our maid, returned from visiting her brother and his family shortly before ten o’clock. She would spend Christmas morning with us, helping cook with the Christmas lunch before going back to her brother in the afternoon. When Mary had told Ethel we would need her Christmas morning, Ethel had cheerfully replied she was quite happy to escape from her numerous nieces and nephews for a few hours. She had then asked rather hesitantly if we would mind her attending the early service on Christmas morning, provided she had made all the necessary preparations by that time. Mary had said she was welcome to come to the midnight service with us, but Ethel said she preferred the quiet of the first Christmas morning service.

Mary was keen we attend the midnight service, and accordingly, we put on our warmest coats, hats, scarves and gloves. We walked to the church, greeting some of our neighbours who were heading in the same direction. The church had been lit with extra candles and looked very pretty as we sang the familiar songs heralding the saviour’s birth.

When we left the church, we found it had begun to snow. I tucked Mary’s hand into my arm, and we walked home through the falling snowflakes. We did not hurry, preferring instead to watch the snow as it swirled and danced before us. Slowly, the snow began to settle and when we reached our front door and turned round, we could see clearly our footprints leading to the door.

I opened the door, and we went inside, laughing and batting off the snow which was starting to cover our hats and coats. Mary went to make us some cocoa, and I shook the rest of the snow from our coats off outside before joining her in the parlour. She had lit the oil lamps and we stood and admired the tree.

Spotting one of the new additions to the tree, she leaned forward to touch it.

“May I remind you whilst you may admire the decorations you are not permitted to touch them before Christmas Day.”

“But it is gone midnight,” she replied.

I tried to give her a reproving look but failed and laughed instead. “That may be factually true, but I somehow feel it is not quite what you meant earlier.”

“True, my love,” she replied with a smile.

A thought struck me, and I said, “Have you hung anything on the tree for Holmes? He will deny it, of course, but he would be most disappointed if there was nothing for him.”

“I have, and I hope he will like it. I have also added something for both Ethel and cook, for they deserve something too. In addition, I have purchased a selection of bonbons for Ethel to take for her nieces and nephews. I trust you will not mind; it is unlikely they will receive many gifts.”

“That is a very kind thought and most appropriate for this season. And now, I believe we should retire to bed, for the sooner we go, the sooner Christmas Day will really begin.”

She leaned forward and kissed me, and together we made our way upstairs.


End file.
